The Fox and The Hound: Upbringing
by Jerod2447
Summary: The sequel to Sacrifice, it takes place about a month after Vixey and her kits settle with Widow Tweed. Copper has become their guardian and surrogate father/uncle. What kind of mischief will the kits get into? I do not have a lot to put here as I just started this story.
1. Prologue

Ok, I'll tease you with this...

Please tell me what you think, if I don't get reviews I'll have to put this on hold or cancel it.

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The Fox and The Hound: Upbringing

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Prologue,

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Tod sat on top of a hill. He had died and knew it. No one could see him or hear him, and it hurt. He looked down longingly at the farm where he was raised. Now his mate and kits occupied it. The kits were running around playing and getting into mischief. Vixey was watching them and chatting with Copper. Tod's heart yearned to be down there with them; he wanted to feel Vixey against him, wanted to talk with his best friend, and most of all, wanted to play with his kits. He felt a crystal tear leave his eye, all he could do was watch.

"I love you all," Tod said to himself. "I just want to be with you." His voice was solemn and silent to all but himself.

"Hey Tod," A fox spirit approached him. She asked, "You checking in on your family again?"

Tod nodded and looked up, "Yeah… mom? How do you adjust to being…?"

"Dead?"

"Yeah, I mean Heaven is amazing beyond description, but…"

Tod's mother sat next to him, "You want them don't you?"

Tod nodded and felt more tears fall.

"It's not easy, but you'll see them again. Sometimes, we're allowed to talk to our loved ones, even let them see us and feel us. It requires special situations but they can happen."

"How come I never saw you?"

"Wasn't given the opportunity, it's not up to us."

Tod sighed, "Yeah…" He looked back down at the farm.

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Okay... gotta admit I got a bit emotional while writing this scene.

Anyways, thanks for reading,

Jarod2447


	2. Chapter 1, Play

Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait, but I have quite a few projects going on now.

I'm still trying to figure out how

I'm going to do them all

Without making a tragic fall

Now, read on

And tell me what you think when it's done!

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Chapter 1, Play

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Four, small streaks of red and white fur ran through a forest, they were headed to a local swimming hole.

They were four fox kits.

"No fair Bolt! You got a head start!" Sky yelled as they raced to the pond.

"Not my fault you're slow!" Bolt yelled as he leapt into the cool water. His fur became soaked and the white streak across his eye moved as he laughed.

Sky followed, the water covered his dark red fur. He splashed his brother for cheating and laughed. And so began a splash war between Sky and Bolt.

Violet came next, "Look out below!" She yelled as she jumped into the clear water.

Bringing up the rear was Tod, the runt of the liter of fox kits. "Hey guys, wait for me!" His mother said he looked the most like his father.

The four kits laughed, swam, and splashed in the pond.

Lily was with her mom; originally the whole family was going for a walk in the woods. After a few minutes Bolt asked his mom if he could go to the pond. She said it was ok and he took off. Of course; Sky, Violet, and Tod followed.

Lily and Fyre stayed with their mom. Lily was always a bit shy and preferred to be with her mother. Fyre preferred his own company and asked his mom if he could go on his own.

Vixey sighed as the kits ran to off. Fyre went to explore on his own and the four others to the swimming hole. Lily stayed with her.

Lily looked up at her mom, "Mommy, what was daddy like?"

Vixey smiled and looked away from her daughter for a second. "He was a brave, nice, and funny fox."

"Mommy, what happened to him? Whenever we ask, you don't answer."

Vixey sighed, "He saved Uncle Copper from a bear. They were best friends and they in the woods one day when a big, nasty bear attacked. It was about to kill Copper when your father fought it."

Lily's eyes went wide, "Oh mama, that sounds scary! Did daddy hurt the bear?"

Vixey chuckled lightly at her daughter's reaction. "Yes, he made the bear fall down a waterfall with him."

Lily looked down, "Is that why daddy's gone?"

Vixey nodded, "He was very brave."

Lily nodded, "I wish I met him."

Vixey looked ahead _the kids love Copper so much; I can't tell them that he was the one that chased us. That he tried to kill Tod. They'll hate him, and they need a father figure badly. Especially Fyre, that kit, I don't know about him sometimes. I think that being the firstborn, being without his father hits him the hardest._

Fyre was walking through the forest thinking. He felt full of an anger he couldn't fully explain. _I hate you. Why did you have to die? Why did you leave us?_ These and many other hurt and angry thoughts passed through the young fox's mind constantly. He couldn't decide if he was upset at his father, the world, or himself for being angry. So, to vent, he would often go out into the woods alone and catch bugs or just run around. It wasn't like he disliked his siblings, Fyre loved them, but they had the habit of getting on his nerves.

Fyre heard his mother calling for him and he ran back to her.

"So what did you do by yourself Fyre?" Vixey asked.

"Nothing really, just thinking,"

Vixey called for the rest of her kits, "About what?"

"A lot of things…" Fyre answered broadly.

Soon the rest of the fox family joined them and they returned to the farm.

Greeting them was Copper. He smiled broadly as Bolt, Sky, and Violet tried to tackle him. "Hey kids, you have a nice walk?"

The kits efforts to tackle Copper were futile but amusing to the hound. "We went swimming!" Sky exclaimed, "But Bolt kept splashing me!"

"Aw come on Sky! We had fun!" Bolt reminded his brother.

"It was fun!" Violet chimed in. "I won though."

Bolt exclaimed, "Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

Copper jumped in, "Hey, hey, kids calm down, dinner will be ready soon anyhow."

"That's good, I'm starving!" Sky chimed.

"Me too!" Violet interjected.

Vixey chuckled, "Mrs. Tweed will set out dinner soon. Now go wash up kits!"

The group of young foxes all head to a small brook near the farm and washed their paws and faces.

Copper chuckled. "Your kids seem like a fun handful."

Vixey returned Copper's chuckle, "They are, but they're such a blessing to have. And they're all really fond of you, seems like they've made you their uncle."

Copper smiled, "Tod was the closest thing I had to a brother. I'm honored to be an uncle for his kids."

Vixey looked away for a second. She made sure that none of her kits were within hearing range. "Copper, they're older now; Fyre and Lily in particular have been asking about Tod and what happened to him."

Copper frowned slightly. "What did you tell them?"

Vixey sighed, "Part of the truth, that he saved you and your master from a bear and died fighting him."

Copper looked at the poor widow, "That's all they need to know Vixey. Tod did save me and that's all there is to it."

Vixey smiled, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Copper," She smiled widely as her kits came running.

Widow Tweed opened her door and saw the eager kit. "Come on in you little rascals!" She says happily. The lonely widow greatly enjoyed the kits running around her house and farm.

The kits squeal and yelp happily as they run around the house, waiting for Tweed to set out their dinner.

Dinner for the kits was a big bowl of milk. They of course managed to spill quite a bit of it. Luckily, the widow had learned of their antics and had set up a special mat to catch the wayward milk.

For Vixey, it was a spare pork chop. The meat was tender and the vixen loved the treat.

Soon the kits and Vixey were finished and they were all lying in front of the fireplace. Vixey had her kits all curled up next to her and Widow Tweed was in her rocking chair.

Live was great as Vixey watched her children. Soon they were asleep and got into the funniest positions.

Violet had all four paws in the air.

Tod had his front paws perpendicular to his back ones.

Lily was curled up into almost a perfect ball.

Bolt's paws were constantly moving, as if he were running after something.

Fyre was in a relatively normal position but he snored loudly for such a young fox.

Sky was lying on his belly and all his paws were outstretched.

Vixey grinned to herself. _Look at this, how do they sleep like that? I couldn't sleep like that if I tried!_ She admired her kits before falling asleep herself.

Copper had just arrived back at his master's cabin and promptly ate the deer meat the hunter had set out for him.

"Hiya there Copper how are the pups?" The older dog, Chief asked. Even he had become fond of the kits. That is, as long as they didn't disturb his naps.

Copper smiled, "Aw they're great, full of energy and just being, well, pups!"

Chief gave a gravelly laugh, "Did they try ta hog-tie ya again?"

Copper chuckled, "No, they keep trying to tackle me though. If they keep it up, they'll soon be big enough to do it."

Chief gave a knowing smiled. "Yeah you pups sure sprout up fast. I remember when we first got you; you were quite the rascal then."

Copper gave a wry smile, "What do you mean old timer? I still am a rascal!" Copper proceeds to pull on Chief's ear with his mouth.

Chief chuckled a bit before becoming quickly annoyed, "Dagnabbit get off me you overgrown pup!"

Copper just laughed as he returned to his barrel, "Told ya I was still a rascally pup!"

"You were right you pup, you do make a good daddy for those kid foxes."

Copper smiled. "Thanks chief, you were a good father for me to."

Chief grunted, he did like what Copper said but didn't want to look soft. "You did cause a good deal of mischief."

Copper smiled, he knew that was the best he was getting out of the grumpy old hound.

The next day, Fyre was walking through the woods like he normally did. He decided to explore a bit and came upon a sight he marveled at. It was a tall waterfall that emptied into a clear lake.

* * *

I know this chapter is kind of short

But hey, I'm holding down the fort

I have other tales I could resort

Anyways, hope you had fun

This story is far from done


	3. Chapter 2, The Falls

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while. I have quite a few other fics to work on and I know this chapter is short by my standards, but I think it packs a lot.

Anyways, enjoy!

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Chapter 2, The Falls

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"Come on guys, you have to see this! This beats our old swimming hole by a long shot!" Fyre exclaimed as his siblings followed him.

"You had better be right Fyre!" Bolt yelled as he ran, "You made me lose a grasshopper!"

"Hey guys! Wait for me!" Tod exclaimed, he was doing his best to keep up but was still falling behind.

"Don't worry Tod; I'll keep up with you." Violet assured and slowed to his speed.

Soon, the group of fox kits came upon the falls and the crystal clear lake it fell in. They marveled at the beautiful sight.

"Wow Fyre! You weren't kidding!" Sky exclaimed.

"It's pretty! And big!" Lily observed.

Bolt didn't even say anything; he paused for a moment before running into the cool, clear water. Sky followed, as did Fyre.

After a minute, Violet and Tod appeared and they too, took in the beautiful scene.

Tod looked around, "Golly, this place is amazing!"

Violet saw the rest of her siblings in the water, (Well except for Lily, she was sitting at the water's edge and pawing at the water.) and she ran into the lake.

"Come on in Lilly and Tod!" Bolt shouted, "You're missing out on all the fun!"

Tod looked at his nervous sister, "C'mon Lily, it'll be fun." With that, the young fox stepped into the lake.

* * *

Copper had just woken up and decided to pay Vixey and the kits a visit. He made his way to Widow Tweeds, and found Vixey resting under the shade of a tree. "Hey Vixey, you have a nice night?"

Vixey smiled, "Yes I did, how about you?"

"I slept like a pup, speaking of which, where are the rascals?"

"Fyre asked if they could go swimming."

"You let them go by themselves?"

Vixey nodded, "They're old enough to handle going to the swimming hole. It's not far and a smaller pool, so I'm not worried."

"Are they really that big already? Gosh, I feel old now." The hound remarked with a chuckle.

Vixey laughed, "**You** feel old?" She said with a knowing look.

Copper looked away and felt a little embarrassed, "Um, yeah… so, would you like me to check in on them?"

Vixey nodded, "That would be great. They'd love to have their uncle join them."

Copper smiled and bid Vixey goodbye.

He entered the woods and began to sniff the air. _Alright you pups, where have you gone off to?_

It took Copper a few minutes but he soon found one of the kits' scents. _Ah, there you are… Bolt? Or is it Sky? Doesn't matter, you two are inseparable._ The hound begins to follow the scent.

He soon heard the sounds of the kits playing and looked up. When he saw the falls and the pond, his heart sunk. _Not this place! No! _ Luckily for Copper, he was hidden from their view. He was able to hide his pain as the sad memories flooded his mind. _Come on Copper, you old boy, that was months ago. They're your future now. Besides, look at how happy they are! It's just a lake, a nice, cool lake. _He composed himself quickly, before he ran out of his cover and smiled widely. "Look out below!" He yelled as he jumped into the lake.

The resulting splash launched Sky about a foot into the air. Bolt, Tod, and Violet all got splashed from the hounds leap.

All of the kits laughed in surprise and happiness.

Bolt exclaimed, "Uncle Copper!"

Copper laughed, "Hello guys!"

"How'd you find us?" Tod asked.

"You dummy," Fyre responded, "He smelled us."

Tod tapped the water. "…oooh…"

Copper, "Now Fyre you should be nice to your brother." Saying those words made him think of Tod and when Copper was chasing him through the woods with murderous intent. _You should be nice to your brother…_ he thought.

Copper's mind was brought back to reality as Violet splashed him. "Ah, a direct hit!" She exclaimed.

Copper smiled, "Come here you!" With that, a splash war between the kits and Copper broke out.

Time seemed to fly and soon it was beginning to get dark. Copper stepped out of the water and shook himself dry. "Come on kids, it's getting late!"

A collective groan came from all the kits.

Bolt cried, "Awww."

"Do we have to?" Tod asked, "We're having too much fun!"

Tod's words were just like his dad's. Copper smiled, "Afraid so, besides, I bet ya'll are hungry right?"

At those words, the kits picked up the pace.

* * *

Fyre saw, out of the corner of his eye, a porcupine watching them. The porcupine glanced at Copper, gave a frightened look, and then ran away.

Fyre's curious nature wanted to go after him, but he couldn't. His siblings were leaving with Copper and were calling for him to come with him. He reluctantly followed.

* * *

Hmm, what's with the porcupine? Hmm...

Anyways, thanks for reading and stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 3, Revelation

_Hey guys, so this project isn't dead. It was just pushed off… for a long time. Not saying I'll update this often, but it's back on my radar. (I've been more into my Ravage and now Alter stories) not exactly sure where I'm taking this, but it should be fun._

_Thanks for reading,_

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Chapter 3, Revelation

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Fyre's curiosity had gotten the better of him so he took his siblings back to the falls. He hoped to find that porcupine. He managed to slip away while his siblings splashed and played in the water and entered the forest.

The kit looked around and sniffed.

Sky noticed that Fyre was missing.

"Guys, where's Fyre?"

The kits stopped playing and looked around.

"You know how he is," Violet said, "He goes off on his own."

"Why? Does he not like us?" Tod asked innocently.

"I'm not sure…" Lily said. "I heard momma say that daddy being gone hurts him."

"It hurts all of us," Bolt retorted. "Fyre's a spoilsport."

Sky looked around.

It took Fyre a bit, but he came upon a tree and found a few loose quills at its base.

"Who are you?!" A timid voice asked and Fyre jumped and both he and the voice yelled.

The fox kit spun around and saw the brown porcupine. He was ducking behind a fallen branch.

"I-I-I'm Fyre… who are you? Why were you watching us yesterday?"

The porcupine left his cover and slowly approached Fyre. "B-Because… I saw that… you were with that dog…"

Fyre raised a brow, "You mean Uncle Copper?"

The porcupine nodded.

"You've seen him before?"

Again, the porcupine nodded.

"Why did you act scared?"

The porcupine sighed. "I saw a him and his master corner two foxes here a while ago…"

_Uncle Copper was chasing two foxes? I mean, I knew he was a hunting dog. But he and his master stopped hunting,_ "So what? He doesn't hunt anymore."

"T-they chased them to the falls and this bear came out…"

Fyre paused. "W-wait, you said there was a bear? That they chased two foxes here?"

The porcupine nodded.

"Was it a girl fox and a boy fox?"

Again, he nodded.

"D-did, the boy fox… die?"

This time, the porcupine nodded in a much slower fashion.

Fyre froze as he tried to figure it out. _S-so, Uncle Copper… he chased my momma and daddy… hunted them? He was… trying to kill them? …So he tried to kill my parents? …Then the bear attacked them… and daddy… died… trying to save… them? _Tears flooded Fyre's eyes. _Copper… it's your fault… I have no daddy!_

The kit couldn't help it, he broke down.

Sky was looking around the forest for his brother. He shouted, "Fyre?! Fyre?! Fyre?!"

Fyre emerged from behind a tree. He did his best to hide the fact that he had been crying. Though, his eyes were still a bit red.

"Fyre! Where were you?"

"Nowhere… I just… saw something and decided to go after it…"

Sky looked at his brother. "What was it?"

"A… porcupine…"

"Really? Neat! Why didn't you tell us? It would have been fun!"

"I didn't want you guys getting hurt… it jabbed me in the tail area…" Fyre rubbed his rear, making it look like he had been pricked there by a quill.

Sky laughed. "You mean, a porcupine stuck you in the rear?!" He laughed harder.

Fyre rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, now the others are all gonna laugh at me."

Sky calmed a bit. "You bet!"

_This is humiliating… why couldn't I have some up with a better fib?_ Fyre thought as Sky kept laughing at his fake misfortune. "Well, are you done laughing? Cause I'd like to rest my tail in that cool water."

Sky chuckled and nodded. "Sure! I can't wait to tell the others!"

Fyre groaned. "Aw fox…"

"Hey, I won't tell momma, but I can't promise the others won't."

Fyre groaned again, "Yeah, you tell Lily anything and you might as well be telling momma herself."

Sky shrugged. "Hey, all momma will do is ask if you're ok and to not do that again."

"Yeah, I would do it again. Cause, I love being stabbed by quills," Fyre retorted with heavy sarcasm.

At that, they rejoined their siblings and splashed and playing in the cool water.

All the while, Fyre felt sick upon the realization that this was where their father had died. Not only had he died there, but it was because of Copper. _Copper, I will make you pay for my dad. Someday I will. And that's when I'll discover that revenge is sweet, when I break your heart like you broke mine!_


	5. Update

Hey guys, alot of you have been requesting the next chapter. Well, this is to let you all know that... I'm working on it! :) hehe, I know it's been a long time, but due to life and my other stories, I have postponed the story. But now, it is in the works! I would love to hear your ideas, maybe I'll use some of them, maybe not.

So, stay tuned!


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